But the speech itself could be enough to placate investors that
have been thirsting for any signs of progress on the tax
reform front.

He kept to the rough outlines of his "Better Way" tax plan: cut
corporate and personal taxes, simplify the tax code, and
prioritize American-made products.

Ryan did not even confirm if he is still pushing for the border
adjustment tax, a key part of his plan, only saying it was
an "option."

But "the main story for the markets isn't the specific
details," Greg Valliere, chief global strategist at Horizon
Investments, told Business Insider. "Markets just want to know
the process is still alive — and it is."

Wall Street targeted the tax cuts for corporations as their No. 1
policy priority following Trump's election, saying they would
bring down the burden on companies and help raise profits.

But Republicans haven't made much progress on the cuts so
far due to a variety of other issues — healthcare reform and the
Russia investigations, for instance — eating up much of the
congressional calendar. Now, with the Senate nearing a
healthcare bill of their own, the sign of forward progress may be
enough to whet investors' appetites.

"The key for investors is simple: the process is still
plodding along, and the markets just want to see that tax reform
and tax cuts aren't dead. And they're not," Valliere said in a
note to clients Tuesday.

Still, there is no guarantee that the tax reform will get done
this year, as Ryan promised, and many analysts remain skeptical.

"There is reason to be concerned that barriers to its
passage may be too difficult to overcome, so it will be important
to hear more on how Washington can address the policy and
political obstacles standing in the way," Jon Traub, managing
principle at Deloitte Tax and former staff director for the
House Ways and Means Committee, said after the
speech